The present invention relates to rug underlays and more particularly to an underlay for releasably adhering a carpet to a floor surface.
Rugs are frequently used to enhance the appearance of rooms by placing them at selected locations. In such situations, it is desirable to provide an underlay beneath the underside of the rug to prevent the rug from slipping. Such underlays may take many forms, such as an open mesh, and have a variety of degrees of adhesion to, and releasability from, the surface on which the rug is placed. An additional factor is the ability of the underlay to release from the underlying surface, or from the underside of a rug, without leaving an appreciable amount of residue on the surface. The rug underlay product can be fabricated in various thicknesses, thus providing additional cushioning and shock absorbency, enhancing the luxurious feel of the rug underfoot.
When rugs are used on carpeted areas or stain-sensitive bare floors, different considerations come into play, particularly because of the possibility of staining the face yarns of the underlying carpet or delicate bare surface due to spills. This is particularly important with rugs dyed with vegetable dyes. Colorations made with vegetable dyes are prone to run when wet. Thus, open mesh underlays do not satisfy the condition of protecting against staining by preventing spills and moisture from reaching the underlying carpet. Further, because of the texture of the pile surface of carpet, an open mesh underlay does not necessarily provide adequate gripping power to keep the rug from shifting on the carpet. Further, some of the resilience and cushioning effect is lost when the pile yarn extends through the open areas in the underlay.
For many years, a particular popular underlay for rugs placed on carpets has been available under the name RUG LOCK(copyright) sold by Rug Hold, Inc., of Dalton, Georgia. This RUG LOCK(copyright) product comprised a 4 to 5 ounce felt underlay, opposite sides of which have a releasable polypropylene film. In fabrication, the felt is saturated with an adhesive usually applied by spraying to provide a substrate which is tacky on both sides. The polymer film is applied to both sides, and to place the product on the carpet, the polymer films are removed. One side of the underlay is applied to the backside of the rug, while the other side is used to secure the rug to the carpet.
While this product has been the standard in the industry for many years, the product is subject to many disadvantages. For example, in application of the adhesive to the felt, the adhesive was sprayed on the felt. The application of the adhesive was difficult to control because the felt disguises the amount of adhesive applied. As a result, the felt could absorb too much adhesive, which would work excessively into the porous surfaces of the untreated felt pad. The adhesive could then transfer onto the pile surface of the carpet and between the fibers of the carpet. Further, if the adhesive transferred to the carpet, a high powered solvent had to be used to clean the adhesive from the underlying carpet. This could damage carpet coloration. Further, adhesive has a tendency to clog spray heads, making application thereof difficult and unnecessarily costly, due to product line interruption.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved pressure sensitive, releasable, rug underlay, which may be readily applied between the undersurface of a rug and an underlying surface, such as a carpet or a floor, such that the underlay can then be firmly, but releasably, adhered to both surfaces and which does not suffer the aforenoted disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved pressure sensitive, releasable, rug underlay which is releasable from the underlying surface, such as a carpet or a floor, such that no appreciable residue is transferred to the underlying surface.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved pressure sensitive, releasable, rug underlay which can be readily applied to the underside of a rug, and which minimizes the possibility of staining the underlying surface, such as a carpet on which the rug is placed, due to liquid spills.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved pressure sensitive, releasable, rug underlay which can be washed in water without degradation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved rug underlay with is water impervious. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved rug underlay having both end-to-end and side-to-side effective gripping characteristics. Another object of the present invention is to provide a rug underlay that is effective in holding a light weight rug. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved rug underlay having improved dimensional stability and which can be efficiently manufactured.
These objects and their attendant advantages are achieved in accordance with the present invention, where a rug underlay comprising a polypropylene felt substrate has a non-aggressive latex-acrylic adhesive coating applied thereto by a dipping method, which renders the substrate both water impervious, dimensionally stable and efficiently manufacturable.
In accordance with the invention, the underlying substrate of the underlay is manufactured from xe2x80x9cneedle-punchedxe2x80x9d polypropylene fibers arranged to form a non-woven felt fabric, to which an acrylic latex pressure sensitive adhesive is applied by a dipping process that coats the surfaces of the fibers and fills the interstices between the fibers. This renders the felt substrate water impervious. The acrylic adhesive is applied to the felt substrate in a dip and squeeze operation. The felt substrate is run through a trough of adhesive and then passed through an excess adhesive removal station, for example, squeegies, dams, or rollers which remove excessive adhesive from the felt into the trough. At least one release foil is applied to the adhesive coating prior to a curing stage.
In an alternative embodiment, a pre-coat dip and squeeze step is included prior to application of the pressure sensitive adhesive. The purpose of a pre-coat is to control the degree of absorption of the pressure sensitive adhesive into the felt. The pre-coat step is essentially the same as that followed in application of the pressure sensitive adhesive, with the pre-coat composition supplanting the adhesive. Following the application and fixing of the pre-coat, the pre-coated felt fabric is directed to the pressure sensitive adhesive dip and squeeze process.
Advantageously, the pressure sensitive adhesive is selected to prevent accidental delamination of the underlay from the rug, by ensuring sufficient adhesion to all surfaces, including the backing of the rig and the underlying carpet fibers, or alternatively the bare floor. Consequently, the rug and underlay will tend to remain affixed together, and also to the underlying floor or carpet surface while in use, and when it is desired to relocate the rug and underlay, both can be easily lifted in combination, or separately from each other, without leaving undesirable residue on the underlying surface. If it is desired to store the rug in combination with the underlay for later use, a release film may be applied to the exposed adhesive side of the underlay.
Advantageously, the underlay can be washed in water without damage, for example, in a commonly available washing machine. A further advantage resulting from washing is that tackiness of the pressure sensitive surface is renewed.
When installing the product, if done at the installation-site, the rug to which the product is to be applied is first placed face down. An underlay is chosen or trimmed to the size of the rug and after a layer of foil is removed, the adhesive side of the underlay is pressed against the pack of the rug. The rug is then placed over the carpet or floor at the exact location where it is to be installed. The rug is then folded back halfway upon itself, and half of the exposed release foil is peeled off to expose one-half of the adhesive face of the side which is to be applied to the underlying surface. The rug is thereafter folded back on the underlying surface and the process is repeated with the other half of the underlay. The other half of the release foil is removed and after the remainder of the release foil is removed, the folded portion of the underlay is then folded back on the carpet to allow the full coating to adhesively grip the fibers of the carpet or the surface of the floor.
As should be apparent, the rug underlay can be applied at a manufacturing location so that rugs ready for installation can be readily handled and shipped. The underlay is also intended for installation on a bare floor, for example, a wood or vinyl covered floor, by using a procedure substantially the same as previously described for installation on a carpet. For installation on a bare floor, the underlay can be applied to the back or underside of the rug, as previously described, or it can be applied directly to the bare floor, after which, the rug is positioned on, and pressed against, the underlay.